December 4
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]Radiohead - 4 Minute Warning
Chill and beautiful.
December 3
+ Mad Men Playlists
Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, John Slattery and Jon Hamm submitted their favorite songs (and reasons why) for the “Celebrity Playlists” section on iTunes.
Funny to see how all four included Wilco on their playlists.
December 3
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The first day of school was a special one last month for the 15 children from the Mai Hoa orphanage here. They are infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, and for the first time they would be allowed to attend the local primary school.
But when they arrived, they found an uprising by the parents of the other students, who refused to let their children enter the school together with the infected orphans… After a short standoff, the principal, who had agreed to accept the orphans, told Sister Bao that their papers were not in order and that they could not stay. (via NYT)
The orphanage sounds and looks (right down to the sheets on those bunk beds) really similar to the 2 “group homes” in Yunnan that I worked at, except that there, the kids were enrolled in regular schools because the homes hid the fact that they were HIV-positive, and had disclosed only that they were AIDS orphans. Most of the kids were behind a couple of grades because back home in their respective villages they had been denied entry to the local school. It’s feels kind of random that the Times did a story on this and that I actually have experience with it.
December 1
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In 1838 the 29-year old Charles Darwin wrote the following in his journal. It is a chart comparing marriage (which he was considering) to non-marriage.
Transcription:
This is the questionMarry
Children — (if it Please God) — Constant companion, (& friend in old age) who will feel interested in one, — object to be beloved & played with. — —better than a dog anyhow. — Home, & someone to take care of house — Charms of music & female chit-chat. — These things good for one’s health. —
Forced to visit & receive relationsbut terrible loss of time. —WMy God, it is intolerable to think of spending ones whole life, like a neuter bee, working, working, & nothing after all. — No, no won’t do. — Imagine living all one’s day solitarily in smoky dirty London House. — Only picture to yourself a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music perhaps — Compare this vision with the dingy reality of Grt. Marlbro’ St.Marry — Marry — Marry Q.E.D.
Not Marry
No children, (no second life), no one to care for one in old age.— What is the use of working ‘
in’ without sympathy from near & dear friends—who are near & dear friends to the old, except relativesFreedom to go where one liked — choice of Society & little of it. — Conversation of clever men at clubs — Not forced to visit relatives, & to bend in every trifle. — to have the expense & anxiety of children — perhaps quarelling — Loss of time. — cannot read in the Evenings — fatness & idleness — Anxiety & responsibility — less money for books &c — if many children forced to gain one’s bread. — (But then it is very bad for ones health to work too much)
Perhaps my wife wont like London; then the sentence is banishment & degradation into indolent, idle fool —
Darwin married his first cousin Emma Wedgwood on January 29, 1839.
“Better than a dog anyhow.” Nice.
December 1
+ 30 Secrets Your Waiter Will Never Tell You
Here’s a secret from a certain Outback Steakhouse franchise: If you order ginger ale, they won’t actually tell you, No, our soda fountain does not have ginger ale. They’ll just fake it: sprite with a dash of coke. I guess that’s how they roll in AUSTRALIA.
When I’m hiring, I always look for someone who’s spent some time as a waiter. What I learned waiting tables was far more valuable than anything I learned in college as far as how to interact with the human race.
True that. Although at the time I had braces, wore my hair in 2 braids and an XL shirt with a single piece of flair, looked as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as humanly possible, and acted like every day was my first day. So I might have had it pretty easy, because my tips were amazing.
+ 100 things restaurant staffers should never do. Great list but the sense of entitlement in some of the comments is ridiculous, and a reason to publish a list of the 100 things patrons should never do. Rude customers outnumber rude waiters for sure.
+ from a previous post: fun facts about tipping.
December 1
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]The Pogues - Body of an American
I finally finished watching The Wire. Now I’ll never be able to watch it for the first time again. Scenes from the 4th season continue to haunt me while I walk around and do errands. Seriously, what a great show.
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